A power supply such as a battery is provided in a hybrid car, an electric car, etc. in order to drive a motor etc. The power supply such as the battery and the motor etc. are connected to each other by a high-voltage power supply circuit. Accordingly, it is necessary to interrupt the power supply circuit in order to allow a worker to do working safely during an inspection work for the vehicle. To this end, a service plug for interrupting the power supply circuit is provided in the hybrid car, the electric car, etc. For example, the following configuration has been generally known as the configuration of such a service plug. That is, the service plug includes a lever-including housing and a power supply circuit-side housing. In the lever-including housing, a pair of male terminals interlinked to each other by an interlinking part are received inside a housing to which a lever is attached rotatably. The power supply circuit-side housing receives female terminals which are connected to a power supply circuit. A technique corresponding to the service plug having the aforementioned configuration has been disclosed in Patent Literatures 1 through 3.
In FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 1, a switch device 1 is configured as follows. The switch device 1 includes a base material 3, a housing 5, a lever 7, main switches 9a and 9b, and an interlock switch 11. In FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the base material 3 is attached to a battery case (not shown) etc. A peripheral wall 17 shaped like a cylinder is provided to protrude upward from a reference surface X. Opening holes 13a and 13b are formed inside the peripheral wall 17. The housing 5 is formed into a cylindrical shape so that an opening portion can be formed in the housing 5. Cam holes 43 are formed in the level 7. Cam pins 45 provided to protrude from side surfaces of the peripheral wall 17 of the base material 3 are engaged with the cam holes 43. In FIG. 2, the main switches 9a and 9b are constituted by plate-like male terminals 31a and 31b which are short-circuited, and female terminals 33a and 33b into which the male terminals 31a and 31b are inserted. The male terminals 31a and 31b are internally fixed to the housing 5. The female terminals 33a and 33b are internally fixed to the opening holes 13a and 13b of the base material 3. One of the female terminals 33a and 33b is connected to a battery side of a power supply circuit while the other opening hole 33a or 33b is connected to a load side of a motor etc. of the power supply circuit.
In the switch device 1, when the lever 7 is pushed down to be locked to lock protrusions 49, male terminals are inserted into their corresponding female terminals in the main switches 9a and 9b and the interlock switch 11. To interrupt the power supply circuit during an inspection work for the motor etc., the lever 7 is unlocked and then rotated into a state where the lever 7 can stand up as shown in FIG. 2. In this manner, the interlock switch 11 is cut off. Then, the main switches 9a and 9b are cut off as soon as the housing 5 is removed from the base material 3. On the other hand, after the inspection work, the male terminals 31a and 31b on the housing 5 side are inserted into the female terminals 33a and 33b on the base material 3 side. Then, when the lever 7 is rotated in a direction to fall down, the housing 5 and the base material 3 move in a direction to approach each other. When the lever 7 is further rotated, lock holes 51 of the lever 7 are engaged with the lock protrusions. In this manner, the main switches 9a and 9b and the interlock switch 11 are connected.
In FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 of Patent Literature 2, a power supply circuit interrupting device 1 is provided with a plug body 2, a lever 3, and a circuit receiving body 4. The plug body 2 serves as one connector housing. The lever 3 is attached to the plug body 2. The circuit receiving body 4 serves as the other connector housing into which the plug body 2 can be fitted by a lever operation. The plug body 2 is provided with a body housing 5 and a fuse 6 which is pressed and mounted into the body housing 5. The fuse 6 is provided with a cylindrical housing 61, a fusible element (not shown) which is received inside the housing 61, and a pair of terminals 62. The pair of terminals 62 are made of electrically conductive metal plates. One end portions of the terminals 62 are received inside the housing 61 so as to be connected to the fusible element. In FIG. 4, the circuit receiving body 4 is provided with a body housing 41 and a pair of circuit terminals 42 which are received inside the body housing 41. One of the circuit terminals 42 is connected to a terminal of an electric wire 43a connected to a battery while the other circuit terminal 42 is connected to a terminal of an electric wire 43b connected to a load serving as an electronic device.
In the power supply circuit interrupting device 1, when the lever 3 brought into a standing-up state is rotated in a direction to fall down in order to fit the plug body 2 into the circuit receiving body 4 as shown in FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 2, the pair of terminals 62 of the plug body 2 are connected to the pair of circuit terminals 42. In this manner, the electric wires 43a and 43b connected to the pair of circuit terminals are connected through the fuse 6. When an overcurrent flows into the fuse 6, the fusible element blows out to disconnect the pair of terminals 62. Thus, the power supply circuit is interrupted. During an inspection work, the lever 3 in the state shown in FIG. 1 is rotated in a direction to stand up to thereby separate the plug body 2 from the circuit receiving body 4. In this manner, conduction between the pair of terminals 62 of the plug body 2 and the electric wires 43a and 43b connected to the pair of circuit terminals 42 respectively is opened so that the power supply circuit is interrupted.
In FIG. 1 of Patent Literature 3, a service plug 1 includes a circuit receiving body 10, and a plug body 41 which can be removably attached to the circuit receiving body. The circuit receiving body 10 receives a pair of circuit terminals 35. Electric wires 19 are connected to rear parts of the circuit terminals 35 respectively while the circuit terminals 35 are spaced at a predetermined distance from each other. Thus, an open electric circuit is formed. A cylindrical fuse 54 is retained in the plug body 41. The plug body 41 is provided with a pair of male terminals 45 which can be engaged with circuit terminals (female terminals) 35. In addition, a lever 59 is provided in an upper surface of the plug body 41 so as to be interlinked rotatably thereto. In FIG. 4, fuse terminals 57 each formed into a plate shape are provided to protrude from opposite ends of the cylindrical fuse 54. Through holes 58 for inserting the male terminals 45 therein are formed in the fuse terminals 57. The male terminals 45 are inserted into the through holes 58 and bolts 51 are screwed on threaded parts 45a formed in the male terminals 45. Thus, the fuse terminals 57 and the male terminals 45 are engaged with each other.
In the service plug 1, when the plug body 41 is inserted into a reception space 27 in the circuit receiving body 10, the male terminals 45 are inserted into the female terminals 35. In this manner, the electric wires connected to the pair of female terminals 35 are conductively connected through the fuse to form an electric circuit. On the other hand, during an inspection work for the electric circuit, the plug body 41 is pulled upward to be thereby extracted from the circuit container 10. Conduction between the electric wires 19 connected to the pair of female terminals 35 is made open. Thus, the electric circuit is interrupted.